RATNA 

Assalamualaikum, warahmatullahi, wabarakatuh, Shalom, Om Swastiastu, Namo

Buddhaya

Now just imagine, okay, you're looking into the mirror, right? and you just start to
develop thoughts like, "I'm not pretty enough, I'm not handsome enough, I'm not good enough,
I'm too fat, I'm too much like a stick." So you see, those negative thoughts tend to trigger when
we're young. How, you may ask? Well, let me ask you: have you ever been bullied by anyone
when you were younger? Have you ever felt stepped on when you were younger? I'm sure many
people have faced bullying, especially when they're younger.

Hello everyone.. ladies and gentlemen.. my name is Ratna Dharma Halim, and I am a
junior high school student from SMP Mitra Harapan Trillingual National School in Madiun.
Before I start my speech, I would like to say thank you to the honorable judges and audience for
this amazing opportunity.

So.. let's talk about bullying. Bullying can be defined as a repeated aggressive behavior
where one person or a group of people in a position of power deliberately intimidate or abuse an
individual with the intention to hurt that person physically or emotionally. An example of
bullying in the form of physical abuse could be abusing someone repeatedly to supposedly
intimidate them.

I may not be able to speak for everyone in this room, but I have had personal
experiences with this topic itself. When I was young, I experienced both types of bullying,
physically and emotionally. It started during my 1st grade in my previous school, where I was
bullied by a group of so-called popular kids. They bullied me for years on end, approximately 2–
3 years, and as the years went by, the worse the bullying got. At some point, I almost fell into
depression because of how bad my bullying problem was. They have done things such as name-
calling and nicknaming, spreading rumors, threatening, yelling at me or talking to me in a rude
or unkind tone of voice, especially without justifiable cause, mocking my voice or style of
speaking, making insults, or otherwise making fun of me. Despite being bullied for years, I
thankfully still had people on my side who stood up for me and encouraged me to continue being
happy. My bullying was gradually decreasing  as the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The COVID-
19 pandemic, which has reduced people's face-to-face social interactions, did not stop the
bullying of people. at least,  there was no way for my bullies to interact with me aggressively as
we couldn't  interact face to face.

Well, my bullying experience has taught me a lot, and now that I've come to realize that
bullying can cause some really crucial things to someone's health. First of all, bullying can be a
source of many negative effects like loneliness, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Secondly, there's even a mental health report that found bullying could be linked to eating
disorders, body dysmorphia, and other negative psychological effects. And lastly, in some cases,
bullying that affected an individual to the point of severe mental health problems could also lead
to death, or what you may know as suicide. It is said that around 87.6% of the Indonesian
population has experienced bullying in school, and that percentage can or has increased over
time.

So, let's make a move to prevent this bullying from increasing by PEACE . So what is
PEACE an abbreviation.

It starts with P means Provide support for victims: Victims of bullying need support and
resources to help them cope with the effects of bullying. This can include counseling, therapy, or
support groups.
 Then E for Educate children and adults about bullying: It is essential to teach children
about the different types of bullying and how it can affect others. Adults also need to be educated
on how to identify and prevent bullying.

Anti-bullying policies: Schools and workplaces should have clear anti-bullying policies
that are enforced consistently. These policies should outline the consequences of bullying and
how it will be dealt with.

Create a positive and inclusive environment: Schools, workplaces, and communities

should promote positive behavior and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging. This can be
achieved through activities that encourage teamwork, respect, and empathy.

Encourage bystander intervention: Bystanders play a crucial role in preventing bullying

by intervening when they see someone being bullied. Encourage bystanders to speak up and
report

So it's clear to say that we are most likely in the midst of a bullying epidemic, and the
bullying can create negative impacts or effects on an individual that's being targeted as a victim
of bullying. Therefore, let's spread the word to prevent the increase of bullying and make this
world a better place for all of us. Once again, everyone, I am Ratna Dharma Halim, from SMP
Mitra Harapan Trillingual National School, and let's end today's speech with a quote about
bullying: "Everyone is different and unique in their own way, but just because someone is
different doesn't mean that this has to result in harassment." --Ella Jennings.

Thank you all, and that will be the end of my speech. Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi
wabarakatuh, Shalom, Om Swastiastu, Namo Buddhaya.